


Parental Worries

by Pseudo_SuperTramp



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Alfred Pennyworth Ships It, BAMF Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne is a Bad Parent, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, But he's trying!, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Good Grandparent Alfred Pennyworth, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Parent Roy Harper, Reconciliation, Roy and Jason being too cute, or at least the begging
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 15:55:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30141984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pseudo_SuperTramp/pseuds/Pseudo_SuperTramp
Summary: After his initial reaction to discovering about Jason and Roy relationship, Bruce only manages to strain the fragile proximity he'd been builing between with his second son. Now, while Jason broods away from him, Bruce has to realize what’s more important: his opinions about Roy or mending things with his son.
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd, Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Roy Harper/Jason Todd
Comments: 6
Kudos: 115





	Parental Worries

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!!!  
> So, this is my first time writing about these characters and universe, so excuse any mistake I made about details or the character's personalities! Also, I'm not a native english speaker, so again, pardon any mistakes hahaha  
> Comments are very welcome!!!

In hindsight, Bruce should’ve known that bringing the current topic to discussion right after the night patrol, and a rough night especially, wouldn’t lead anywhere but the shouting match he was having with Jason right now. But, just like most things involving his second son after his return to Gotham, all of Bruce’s filters, or his brain, seemed to be a little off. It was like he just couldn’t keep his thoughts and opinions to himself, all of them escaping his mouth in the form of nasty words and harsh tones.

“What did you say, old man?”Jason angrily spatted back at him, already dropping into a tense stance before Bruce.

He really should know better by this point.

But Bruce also knew that Roy Harper was trouble - had known the moment he first laid eyes on the redhead trotting behind Queen, when they discovered the boy’s addiction and when he decided to keep working as a vigilante despite having to care for his infant daughter. He wouldn’t allow Jason to be dragged into all that mess.

“Roy Harper is nothing but trouble and a bad influence. I don’t want you involved with him in any other area besides your vigilante work” Bruce tried to reason with the younger man, using what he hoped was a less confrontational tone. 

“You don’t even know Roy to say shit like that! And even if he was this bad, do you really think you have any room to talk after all the nights you spent chasing Selina over half of Gotham?” Jason shouted at him, clenching his hands into fists. Out of the corner of his eye, Bruce could see that Damian had stopped on his way up to the Manor, now looking the scene unfold with an apprehensive expression.  
Ignoring the jab at his own relations, he tried again. “I’m serious, Jason. This relationship, or whatever it is, won’t bring you any good.”

“You don’t get to fucking decide who I date!” Jason was marching up to him now, without a doubt wanting nothing more than punch him in the face. “Do you think that just because you’re the almighty Batman I have to give a shit about your opinion?” 

“I’m your father!” he finally shouted back, with the roar in his voice booming across the cave walls, the bats above them screeching all over the ceiling in response. 

Jason's eyes narrowed into slits, and when he spoke, his voice was dripping with acid. “I spent months away with the Outlaws and you couldn’t be bothered to check on me even once! Hell, even when I come back to the hellhole that is this city, you won’t talk to me! Always sending Dick, or Tim or even Alfred to call my when you need help with some mission! So you can take all this father bullshit and shove it-” 

“Master Jason” Alfred’s calm but firm voice cut the man’s rant. The butler finally emerged from the med bay, probably having finished tending Tim’s wounded leg. “I believe all this shouting will only serve to rip all the stitches I just sewed on the cut in your side. Please, you and Master Bruce can finish this conversation when there’s no risk of damaging my work.”

Those words seemed to bring Jason from the brick. His whole body sagged, all the rage leaving it. It didn’t really surprise Bruce that Alfred had that power. Everyone one in the family, including himself, knew that there was no hope in picking a fight with the old butler. But in Jason’s case, it went beyond that. Alfred was the only one who had escaped the corruption of the green rage that the Lazarus Pit waters had brought on Jason’s mind, the only one he still considered family.

There wasn’t a single day Bruce didn’t envy that.

“You’re right, Alfie. I’m sorry.” Jason mumbled, bringing his hand up to cradle said wound. “I should get going, anyways… Before I do something that I regret.”

Throwing a last glare at Bruce, he spun around and started walking towards the entrance of the cave. The older man could feel the beginnings of a headache from the sheer force he was grinding his teeth. All of this scene could have been avoided, if Jason would only listen to him, for once. 

So many things could've been avoided. 

\---

Roy knew something was wrong the moment Jason started talking to him on the phone. He almost could feel his boyfriend's anger, but the man also sounded small, resigned. Like he was hurting for the same reason he was angry. Another fight with one of the bats, then. 

When he asked Jason what had happened, only for him to snap, the redhead knew he had to do something.

And that’s how Roy ended up in Gotham, waiting for his boyfriend to open the door to one of his safehouses. If he needed any other confirmation that something had happened, the fact that Jason decided to hole up in one of his most guarded and hidden places was the final clue. 

“Roy? What-?” Jason asked, lowering the gun on his right hand and opening the door fully. His hair was a mess of black curls, like he’d been running his hands through it. He was wearing a pair of ratty sweater paints, and a loose shirt he stole from Roy. 

“Jaybird! I thought we were in our honeymoon phase. You were supposed to receive me with kisses, not bullets.” Roy tried to joke, hoping to ease some of the tension in his boyfriend's shoulders. 

Jason didn’t exactly laugh, but a smirk crept up his lips as he sidestepped and allowed Roy to enter the safe house. “If you had given me a warning that you were coming, I would’ve been way more prepared, Roytoy. And what about Lian? Where's my little princess?”

“What can I say? I wanted to surprise you. Don’t worry about Lian, Kori will watch her for the weekend”

“You did surprise me. And almost got a bullet on your head because of it.”

Coming up behind Jason as he locked the door back up again, Roy wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist. “You wouldn’t do that to me, Jay. I don’t need to worry.”

With a long sight, Jason melted completely in Roy’s embrace. He let his head drop back, closing his eyes and soaking up all the warmth he could from the body pressed to him. Ever since his discussion with Bruce at the crack of dawn, his whole body had been string up tight. He would always get like when he had to be around the older man, trying to prepare for the inevitable moment when the Bat would snap at him, already having decided that the last decision he took was the wrong one, again. Being with somebody he knew wouldn’t judge him like that was exactly what he needed to relax.

The fact he was completely in love with Roy helped too, he guessed.

“Do you wanna talk about what happened?” the archer asked quietly, his breath ghosting over Jason’s ear.

“Nothing really important. Just Bruce being an asshole.”

“Hm” Roy mumbled, hooking his chin over Jason’s shoulder. “About what, now?”

“We’re not having this conversation standing up by the door.” The other man groaned. “C’mon, the couch is right over there.”

Some time (and kisses) later, both of them were lazily sprawled on the couch, Jason's head laid on Roy's chest so he wouldn’t put weight on his injured side. The archer was tracing the scars he found along his boyfriend’s arm, letting Jason get lost in his own thoughts for a while. As much as he knew Jason needed to get them out of his system, the man would only do it at his own time. If Roy tried to drag it out of him, then he definitely would end up with a bullet on his body. 

On his knee instead of his head, though. Probably.

“He found out we are dating.” the brunette began, his voice quiet. “I think he heard when Alfred asked me about how you were doing while he stitched me up. Then he just got that closed off look on his face and started saying a bunch of shit, about how he didn’t approve it, how you were this bad influence. That man has a child with Talia Al fucking Ghoul! He doesn’t get a say in anything about any of my relationships!” 

“He sees you as his son, Jaybird. The old bat is just worried about you.” Roy tried to reason, despite the anger he felt starting to waken in his own body. 

“Well, fuck him! He hasn’t acted like a father to me for more than years. And even if he had, Bruce never said anything to his golden boy when Dick was running after Slade all over the world, when you both were in the Titans!”

At that, Roy gives a low chuckle and holds Jason tighter. 

“You know that the only thing sexual between those two were Dick’s dreams.”

“Don’t be an ass, you know what I mean.” Jason childed, shoving at him. 

“Ouch Jaybird! I’m sorry!” the redhead said as he snachted his boyfriend’s hand and brought it up to his lips before speaking again, more softly. “I’m really sorry for this whole mess with Bruce, though. I never wanted to become another problem between the two of you.”

Because as much as Roy wanted to throw down Wayne’s Manor front door and beat Bruce into the ground for saying all that about him and his relationship with Jason, it hurt him way more to see the estate his boyfriend was. With all his own problems with Oliver, the archer knew that feeling all too well - a deep desire to be accepted paired with the craving to don't need it. 

Sometimes he would wish that they both stayed living with Kori on her island, away from everything and everyone except when they went out on a mission. But he knew that was a fleeting thought. Jason cared far too much about all the orphans and hockes from Crime Alley to don’t be there to watch out for them. And Lian, too. She deserved a normal childhood, or at least the closest to it. Attend a normal school, make friends, play with others kids.

“It’s not your fault.” Jason started speaking again, suddenly. “Besides, Alfred adores you. That’s the only opinion that matters to me."

“He does?” the redhead murmured, not even trying to hide the excitement in his voice. Having the butler approval, whom Jason considered to be his grandparent, wasn’t something Roy knew he wanted until he knew it was a possibilite.

Jason popped himself up on his elbow, looking down at Roy with a lazy smile before answering. “Of course he does. Said that he is really that I found someone that makes me happy as you do.”

“You make me really happy too, Jaybird.” Roy said softly, before surging forward to kiss Jason’s smile off his face.


End file.
